A person who wants to become a party caterer may seek formal training or education in this field, though neither is usually required. Often, a person can pursue this field with little more than a talent for cooking and planning. Some people may feel comfortable starting in this field after taking classes, reading books about catering, or even downloading online courses on the subject. Others may come from hospitality fields or even gain experience working with an established cater before striking out on their own.
Often, a person who wants to become a party cater plans to be self-employed, starting his own business instead of going to work for another person or company. As such, there may be great variety in how an aspiring party caterer prepares for this job. Some may attend culinary school, studying food preparation and presentation. Others may take courses specifically designed to help aspiring party caterers learn the ins and outs of a catering business. Some may even use start-your-own-business books and videos to guide them as they get started.
There are some aspiring party caters who earn degrees in a hospitality or business-related field. Such education can be good preparation for this career. Those who don’t pursue degrees may do well to take at least one business management course. While this isn’t a requirement for this business, taking such a course may boost a person’s chances of running a business successfully.
Gaining some experience with planning parties can be very helpful for a person who wants to become a party caterer. Some people may gain this experience by working for a caterer or even by volunteering to help one. Others may gain experience by working as a server in a hotel’s catering department or by holding a hotel catering management position. An individual who wants to become a party caterer may also prepare for this business by catering his own parties and events or volunteering to help friends and family members with their parties.
Once a person is ready to become a party cater, he should check with his local licensing department to determine the licensing requirements for starting this business. An individual will usually need a business license and may need a food preparation license as well. In some places, a person who wants to become a party caterer may be able to start his business out of his own kitchen while other jurisdictions may require him to have commercial kitchen space. Often, licensing authorities have to inspect a caterer’s kitchen as well.
After securing any licensing or permits he needs to start his business, an aspiring party cater usually needs a good business plan to help him proceed through the start-up phase and operate a successful business. His business plan should usually include details about the focus of his business and how he’ll plan to fund it until it is profitable. Typically, a business plan also details the new caterer's plans for marketing his business.
